Mary Whitney Fuller

Mary W. Fuller, born in Philadelphia, PA in 1931, passed away peacefully on January 22, 2025 at HopeWest Hospice Care Center in Grand Junction, CO. Mary was 93 years old. 

Mary was the first of two daughters born to Robert R. Henderson and Ethel S. Henderson (née Greiner), long-time residents of Philadelphia, PA. Ethel and Robert welcomed Mary into their lives on September 1, 1931. Mary’s sister Margaret “Peggy” Henderson was born on November 27, 1933. 

Mary graduated from Springfield High School in Montgomery County, PA in 1949. She was an avid athlete playing on the field hockey, basketball, lacrosse and tennis teams. After high school, Mary took a job with Philadelphia National Bank where she met her husband, Robert A. Fuller (Bob). 

Mary and Bob were married on May 16, 1953 and started a family shortly thereafter. Mary and Bob raised their three children, Scott, Nancy and Robin in a loving home in Barrington, Rhode Island. The family enjoyed summers together playing tennis, sailing and swimming at the beach.

Prominent in tennis circles, Mary was the Rhode Island Women’s Singles Champion in 1967, and among the top ranked players in singles and doubles in New England for several years. In 1973, she was honored by the Rhode Island Tennis Organization for her service as an organization officer, tournament director, delegate to the New England Lawn Tennis Association, and as a player. Later, she shared the number one ranking in New England for senior players, and successfully competed in women’s doubles events in St. Croix, Virgin Islands where Mary and Bob lived during some of their retirement years. Mary also enjoyed being a tennis instructor for many years. 

Mary was an avid oil painter, gardener and cook. She started painting in Barrington and took her art supplies to St. Croix, USVI then to Sedona, AZ where she lived for 24 years. Mary’s paintings captured the beautiful landscapes and cultures of St. Croix and Sedona. Mary’s flower and vegetable gardens flourished under her watchful eye producing asparagus, tomatoes, squash, beans, and more. Family and friends were the beneficiaries of her garden offerings and her delicious cooking.

After enduring two hurricanes in St. Croix, Mary and Bob settled further into retirement in Sedona where they enjoyed sharing their home with many family members and friends. Bob passed away at home in Sedona in July of 2012 and Mary remained in their home in Sedona until July 2024. After a bout with Covid, Mary then moved to assisted living in Grand Junction, CO to be near her daughter, Robin. 

Surviving are sister, Margaret and Mary’s three children, Scott Fuller of Barrington, RI, Nancy Rushing of Riverside, RI and Robin Hope of Telluride, CO. Mary is also survived by seven grandchildren, Christian Rushing, Nicole Cronin and Mollie Garrison; Chase, Travis and Mitchell Fuller; and Jesse and Gregory Hope along with eleven great grandchildren. 

Mary and Bob will be buried at the West Laurel Hills Cemetery in Cynwyd, PA alongside Mary’s parents. 

A celebration of life gathering, of Mary’s friends and family, will take place in Newport, Rhode Island at the Black Pearl, where Mary & Bob used to enjoy a delicious bowl of clam chowder and a glass of wine. 

Donations, in memory of Mary, can be sent to HopeWest Hospice, 3090 N. 12th Street, Grand Junction, CO 81506.